Slide Rock remains off-limits for swimming

Swimming is still banned at Slide Rock State Park in Oak Creek Canyon. Park officials say water in the canyon remains unhealthy. KJZZ’s Al Macias reports

AL MACIAS: The popular slide rock area was closed Sunday after park officials recorded high levels of fecal coliform. Campers, hikers, pets, wildlife and monsoon rains combine to wash a lot of waste into the Slide Rock Canyon. Steve Pace is the park manager.

STEVE PACE: The animals are using the underbrush as a bathroom, and the humans do that, too. And when it rains it washes that into the creek. A lot of that is a natural process and we can’t really do anything about it, protect people, let them know, and keep them out of the water until it turns safe again.

MACIAS: A Department of Environmental Quality study also cites malfunctioning septic tanks at cabins along Oak Creek as another contributing factor to the pollution problem. The park itself remains open. The water quality is updated every morning.